Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV)

The Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) Program is a federal program that provides rental assistance (subsidy) on behalf of qualified low-income individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of being homeless, and those fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking.

How does the rental subsidy work?

The rental subsidy enables EHV tenants to afford to rent market-rate units by paying the landlord the difference between the agreed-upon market rent and the tenant’s portion of the rent, which is set between 30-40 percent of their monthly income.

How does a family receive an emergency housing voucher?

Designated community agencies that serve homeless families or those impacted by domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking refer eligible families to the housing authority. These agencies continue to assist families throughout the leasing process. The type of support provided to families is individualized; some examples of the assistance that may be provided to EHV participants include:

· navigating the voucher application process

· paying the security deposit and moving costs

· coordinating with the landlord through the leasing process

How does EHV benefit landlords?

· reliable, on-time rental payments from the housing authority to cover a significant portion of the rent due

· housing authority staff are an additional resource for communication between the landlord and the family

· regular inspections conducted by the housing authority help protect real estate investments by identifying potential property concerns early

· financial incentives* for EHV landlords could include:

- higher EHV payment standards to expand housing opportunity

All interested persons must be referred directly by Continuum of Care (CoC) Catholic Charities at (970) 384-2060. CLICK HERE for more information.

Pre-applications may be obtained from the Garfield County Housing Authority or by Continuum of Care (CoC) Catholic Charities.

For more information about Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV), click HERE.